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FPCA wins game one in Orlando

Shaking off what Highlander basketball coach David Jones called a bit of the Christmas break rust, the First Presbyterian Christian Academy boys basketball squad improved to 14-1 by beating Dunnellon 72-41 Monday afternoon in sunny Orlando at the Bishop Moore Tournament.

"It was really hard to get going," Jones said, noting his team hadn’t practiced or played since the previous Wednesday.

Jones said the Highlanders struggled defensively, but offensively Jordan Johnson, Jarquez Smith, Mike Tige and Dominique Kirkely were up for the challenge.

"They played solid and it was a good win. If we had not won we would have had to play at 9 a.m. today and you know how hard it is to get kids up that early in the morning to play a basketball game," Jones said. "It’s hard enough to get them up for breakfast at that time much less a game."

The coach said it was a bit ironic to face Dunnellon, a school he coached at for one season in 1995-96 while in Florida.

The Highlanders were set to play either Lake Brantley or Tampa Bay Tech on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in the second round of the tourney.